


Catch - 22

by Eldritchhorrors



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: 221B Ficlet, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Competition, Drabble, Drama, Gen, Last Drabble Writer Standing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-30
Updated: 2011-09-30
Packaged: 2017-10-24 04:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eldritchhorrors/pseuds/Eldritchhorrors
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a bare room are two doors. Which one will John choose? A Sherlockian retelling of The Lady and the Tiger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch - 22

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Sherlock Last Drabble Writer Standing competition, week 3. The prompt: Character Death in 221 words, the last word ending in B.

“Do you know Frank Stockton?”

“No.”

“Huh. I guess you don’t know his allegory, The Lady and the Tiger. Wretched education.” Moriarty laughed. “Especially for a doctor.”

“Let him go.”

“If you’d read it, you’d know that isn’t happening.”

“Tell me.”

“I’ll _show_ you.” The loudspeaker carrying Moriarty’s voice into the bare room rattled with feedback.

“Get on with it!“

“There are two doors. One’s on a switch that’ll detonate an explosive. You‘ll make it, but our mutual friend won‘t.”

“And the other?”

“The other will save Sherlock’s life.”

John exhaled in a rush.

“It will also forfeit yours. The other door trips the explosive under your cell.”

“I guess, fifty-fifty? And if I refuse?”

“Oh, no guessing. Sherlock gets to tell you. He knows which is which.” A projector cast video of a gagged Sherlock on one wall. “You don’t pick, you _both_ die.”

Sherlock was intent on John, obviously seeing a similar feed.

“Which door, Sherlock? Right, or left?”

Sherlock looked away, but nodded his head to the right. His image froze there, then blinked out.

“What would he do, John? Is he the sociopath they say he is? Would he tell you the wrong door to save himself? Or would he make the first, and last, selfless decision of his life? Ten seconds to decide.”

“Or what?”

“ _Boom_.”


End file.
